In recent years, marine jet propulsion units have become popular for recreational water craft. Such units ordinarily have one or more propellers which are driven within a tubular housing, water being drawn into the housing from one end and being forcefully expelled at the other end to provide a driving force for the craft. In certain of these power units, the tubular housing itself can be pivoted to one side or the other of the craft to provide steering; in other units, deflector plates are provided at the exhaust end to deflect the jet flow to one side or the other of the craft.
At cruising speeds, craft equipped with such jet units are readily steered and are easily maneuvered. I have found, however, that steering is very difficult for such craft at slow speeds, as when such craft are brought slowly to a mooring, or during trolling for fish. At very slow speeds, such craft are only very slightly responsive to changes in the direction of jet flow, presumably at least in part because of the swirling motion imparted to the jet flow by the propellers.
A device which would permit a jet-propelled water craft to be steered easily at slow speeds is much to be desired.